Neuropsychiatric Assessment of Motor Functional Neurological Disorders

You must enroll in this course to access course content.
You must enroll in this course to access course content.
You must enroll in this course to access course content.
You must enroll in this course to access course content.

Clinical Skills Course

Neuropsychiatric Assessment of Motor FND

Functional Neurological Disorder with motor presentations — weakness, tremor, gait disturbance, abnormal movements — continues to challenge clinicians across psychiatry, neurology, and primary care. A practical, expert-perspective walkthrough of neuropsychiatric assessment, grounded in a 2021 peer-reviewed review.

3 Modules ~3 Hours 2021 Evidence Base Academy Members Only

Teaching Modules

3 hrs

Total Runtime

Lessons

About This Course

Motor FND sits at the intersection of psychiatry and neurology, and confident assessment is what separates a clear diagnosis from a prolonged, costly workup. In this focused course, Dr. Harvinder Singh distills the practical core of neuropsychiatric assessment — the clinical interview, the physical examination, and the role of adjunctive tests — based on a Review & Expert Opinion published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences (2021).

You'll learn how to distinguish functional motor symptoms from organic disorders, perform the key positive bedside signs step by step, and communicate the diagnosis in a way that improves patient acceptance.

Please note: This course is not eligible for CME credit. It is intended to enhance clinical knowledge for busy medical professionals.

What You'll Cover

Clinical Interview

A structured approach to FND-movement and FND-paralysis: onset & course, presentation, medical/family history, psychosocial factors, prior maltreatment & stressors, comorbidities, illness perceptions, suicidality, and personality assessment

60 min

Physical Examination

Positive signs of motor FND — Hoover's sign, abductor sign, tremor entrainment, co-contraction, collapsing weakness, dragging gait, functional jerks — performed step by step and differentiated from neurological mimics

50 min

Role of Adjunctive Tests

Electrophysiology (EMG & accelerometry), EEG in functional myoclonus, TMS, and neuroimaging — including interpretation of the Bereitschaftspotential and when adjunctive testing adds value

50 min

Who Should Enroll

Psychiatrists & Neurologists

Primary Care Physicians

Residents & Fellows

Nurse Practitioners & Physician Assistants

Any clinician assessing patients with functional motor symptoms

Included with Academy Membership

This course is part of your Academy Membership — alongside 470+ clinical chapters, Journal Club, Clinical Case Discussions, the CME Academy, and the Academy Network community.

Neuropsychiatric Assessment of Motor Functional Neurological Disorders

Included with Academy Membership

TABLE OF CONTENT:

Neuropsychiatric Assessment of Motor Functional Neurological Disorders

(1) Introduction

(2) Clinical Interview: Basics & Beyond

(3) Clinical Interview: Recommendations

(4) Physical Examination & Recommendations

(5) Role of Adjunctive Testing

Responses